News -- November 18, 2006

Iraq is a 'disaster' admits Blair - "The Prime Minister stopped short of accepting the blame for plunging Iraq to the brink of civil war - blaming instead the insurgent uprising that has killed 125 British troops. But his admission in an interview with the Arab new channel Al Jazeera will be seen as an historic climbdown for Mr Blair, who has always fought to put a positive gloss on often disastrous events."

Military may ask $127B for wars - "The Pentagon is considering $127 billion to $160 billion in requests from the armed services for the 2007 fiscal year, which began last month, several lawmakers and congressional staff members said. That's on top of $70 billion already approved for 2007."

Maine peace activist condemns U.S. military - "The soul of America is drunk with military spending. The addiction to military jobs - building planes, guns or the Navy's newest destroyers - makes warfare vital and starves the rest of the economy, says peace activist Bruce Gagnon. "We'll be like an alcoholic sitting at a bar, always needing the next drink," said Gagnon, Thursday's speaker at the Great Falls Forum."

Web 'fuelling crisis in politics' - "Tony Blair's outgoing chief strategy adviser fears the internet could be fuelling a "crisis" in the relationship between politicians and voters."

Oil tumbles to lowest level since June 2005 - ""There is rising concern that we could be going into a U.S. economic slowdown," said Rick Mueller, senior oil analyst at consultancy ESAI. "This fall also speaks of a well supplied crude market and a warmer outlook in the U.S., and with those conditions maybe the market is starting to wake up to the fact that prices shouldn't be near $60."" -- Hmmm. Gas prices here started inching upward after the election.

Clear Evidence 2006 Congressional Elections Hacked - "Results Skewed Nationwide In Favor of Republicans by 4 percent, 3 million votes."

Number of U.S. hungry falls, first drop in 6 years - "Last year, 35 million people suffered "food insecurity," meaning they didn't have enough money or resources to get food. ... Despite the positive news, the report is still drawing criticism, this time because analysts decided not to use the word hunger to describe how hungry people are." -- "Food insecurity"? Give me a freakin' break!

Young Borrowers Face A Life of Debt - "If you wonder why borrowed money fuels the lifestyles of all ages, turn on a new documentary, "In Debt We Trust," by the veteran dissenting TV journalist and media critic, Danny Schechter. "In Debt We Trust" vividly shows how Americans get ensnared in a web of debt spun by a "credit industrial complex" that almost seems to function like a conspiracy to drive people into financial servitude. Schechter's central insight is bold, provocative and timely. As he quotes a Brooklyn consumer activist, "Debt is profitable."

Dutch seek ban on burqas in public - "The Dutch government, facing re-election next week, said Friday it plans to draw up legislation "as soon as possible" banning the head-to-toe garment known as burqas and other clothing that covers the entire face in public places. The announcement puts the Netherlands, once considered one of Europe's most welcoming nations for immigrants and asylum seekers, at the forefront of a general European hardening of attitudes toward Muslim minorities." -- Pathetic.

Universal Music Sues MySpace.com - "Universal Music Group on Friday sued MySpace.com, claiming the online social-networking hub illegally encourages its users to share music and music videos on the site without permission. The recording company is seeking unspecified damages, including up to $150,000 for each unauthorized music video or song posted on the Web site."

Few Americans favor abstinence-only sex ed - "This latest study, according to the authors, suggests that the federal government is out of step not only with research, but also with public opinion. Of the nearly 1,110 U.S. adults they surveyed, 82 percent supported programs that discuss abstinence as well as other methods for preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Half were in outright opposition to abstinence-only education. Even among self-described conservatives, 70 percent supported comprehensive sex ed., while 40 percent opposed the abstinence-only strategy."

Infant massage may ease crying, sleep problems - "Infant massage has long been used in many Asian and African cultures to ease babies' colic and fussiness, help them sleep, and even aid their growth and development. There is growing interest in infant massage among parents in Western countries as well."

New robot can sense damage, compensate - "When people hurt a leg they can often make do by limping or using a crutch until they feel better. Now, there's a robot that can also cope with injury."

Natural-born painkiller found in human saliva - "Saliva from humans has yielded a natural painkiller up to six times more powerful than morphine, researchers say. The substance, dubbed opiorphin, may spawn a new generation of natural painkillers that relieve pain as well as morphine but without the addictive and psychological side effects of the traditional drug."

Dark energy traced back to cosmic infancy - "Scientists now have evidence that dark energy has been around for most of the universe's history. Using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, researchers measured the expansion of the universe 9 billion years ago based on 23 of the most distant supernovae ever detected. As theoretically expected, they found that the mysterious antigravity force, apparently pushing galaxies outward at an accelerating pace, was acting on the ancient universe much like the present."




Quote of the Day
"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their money, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them (around the banks), will deprive the people of their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
~ Thomas Jefferson